Waha Nui

Laie Elementary School sixth-grader Stephanie Ho lit a spark with the Hawaiian Electric Company in its campaign to make energy savers out of its youngest “users.” The company even featured Stephanie’s drawing and pledge in its islandwide consumer newsletter in February: “I will help to stop wasting electricity in any room when I don’t need to use it and by using CFL lightbulbs instead of the old-fashioned kind,” she wrote ...

Kaneohe’s Merle Ito put together a team of volunteers from Rehabilitation hospital to help run Compadres’ aid station at the Honolulu Marathon. The hospital foundation got a nice thank-you, in the form of the restaurant’s $1,000 check from the marathon folks. Other Windward people helping on the sidelines that busy morning were Rehab’s acting general manager Tiffany Nozawa (a Kaaawa girl) and Rehab Foundation president Ko Miyataki of Maunawili ...

Geraldine Robles

Kumu hula Blaine Kia of Kailua and Kekaniwai celebrate the release of their Moea CD this weekend in Waikiki ... It’s time for First Friday again, and mostly Windward talents will be on display at Lanikai residents JoDee and Ernie Hunt‘s artsy enclave in the Mendonca courtyard Friday night in downtown Honolulu. They’ve invited Garry Palm, Carol D’Angelo, Dexter Doi, Todd Schroeder, Ayamanatara and Kate Wagner, with music by Fred Gayagas ... Malia Paresa, a proud alumna of Ahuimanu Elementary, made the fall 2007 dean’s list in her first semester at USC ... AirMed Hawaii has promoted Kailua RN Geraldine Robles to be lead clinical educator. She will design and conduct monthly training for AirMed’s paramedics and nurses - and she has plenty of experience doing it. She also does training at the UH medical school and local hospitals ...

Thawed out from her mission to almost-Mars in the Canadian high Arctic, Kaneohe’s NASA scientist Kim Binsted will lecture on the four-month experience at 7:30 p.m. March 18 at UH-Manoa (956-3132) ... Rick Shema, president of the Kailua-based Weatherguy.com, is tracking solo ocean rower Alex Bellini on his travels from Lima, Peru. He started Feb. 21 and is heading for Sydney, Australia in his boat. Why? To be the first to cross the southern Pacific Ocean without stopping. Rick’s company is providing plenty of weather support ...

Kaneohe students Ryan Menio and Aubrey Kiemnic both made the fall-term President’s Honor Roll at Washington State U. in Pullman ... Works by student artists from Castle High are on display at Pearlridge Uptown (by See’s Candy) through this Sunday in the Hawaii Art Education show. They are Samantha Nakahira, Emily Gomes and Samantha Myers. Proud teacher is Alicia Rogan